Taste is also good: it actually gets a slight smoked meat character to it that wasn't really there on the nose. There's also potent roastiness giving a strong char. The main issue is that there's a genuine lack of sweetness here, making it very dry for the most part, and turning the smoke flavours semi-astringent. Finish is very dark and very roasty. It's a bit of a shame, because the nose promised absolute divinity.

Feel is also a bit light, but it has a pleasant crispness to it at least: with a touch more sweetness in the flavour it would be very pleasant.

Overall, I'm impressed, even despite my reservations. This is a very tasty beer, with a smoke character that is absolutely beautifully crafted. I would love it to be better, because there's the foundations for an absolutely world-class brew here—and I want it to happen.

Interesting flavour, this is surely different from the other dark stout I've had. Starts out nice and sweet with dark fruits but this has a savouriness to it, as in charred wood, that become more apparant near the finish. Now this must be because of the smoked malts in this one. A bitter (coffee/hops) and roasty aftertaste.

Nice oily mouthfeel, I really like that in a high ABV stout with rather low carbonation.

Interesting, complex and not overly easy to drink but still very tasty.

Pours pitch black with dark brown head with good retention, thin and delicate lacing. Taste is smoke and bits of roasted malt.

Flavour is intense roasted malt, smoke, hints of coffee with bitter dark chocolate in the slowly drying finish, long lasting roasted aftertaste with presence of coffee. Mouthfeel is full with quite low carbonation.

An excellent brew. Does not bear much similarity with "normal" Ghisa though.

Black pitch color, no reflexes. Cappuccino colored foam, beautiful and sticky.In the smell an explosion of smokiness, intense and full, with some roast note. Cocoa.The taste is absolutely full, bitter, smoked. Round and full, with a good hoppiness too.Well balanced, alcohol well hidden.Full body, pleasant.The aftertaste is on the smoky notes, with a finishing hop, bitterness tending to bitter roots.Impressive.

Pours black with a one-finger light brown head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of robust roasted malts with good amounts of dark chocolate and hints of tobacco.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Big roasted malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by solid amounts of dark chocolate. Midway through the sip the flavor profile darkens a bit with the addition of tobacco and mild amounts of char. The tobacco and roasted malt flavors carry through to a solidly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a very nice thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is also very good. I had no problems finishing my glass and could have a few more without any problems.

Overall I can't compare this to the regular, non-imperial, Ghisa as I haven't had it before, but this beer is very well done. An old school RIS with tobacco and char, worth a shot.